Sobrato’s volleyball team used a fierce schedule to toughen itself and the Bulldogs showed their mettle in the playoffs, their sixth straight appearance in the Central Coast Section post-season.
On the road at Rancho San Juan on the north side of Salinas Nov. 1, No. 11 seed Sobrato smashed the No. 6 Trailblazers 25-21, 25-12, 25-14. It marked the third straight year in which Sobrato captured a victory in the CCS playoffs.
The Bulldogs rolled decisively via strong defense, a diverse attack that featured dominant play in the middle and aggressive serving that racked up 11 aces and kept the Trailblazers out of system.
“It feels awesome,” senior setter Jordan Bouton said. “A win in the playoffs is a really good feeling. We have gotten a lot better during the season. We have a lot of trust in each other.”
Melodee Glover collected 13 kills and middle partner Mikayla Forbes added 11, an impressive total of 24 at that position in just three sets. Rae Barua and Olivia Scatena each put down 10 from the outside, and Violette Angeles was also contributing in front.
The ace parade of 11 included seven in the second set alone, with a trio each from Bouton and Jordyn Scettrini.
“Our big thing was we were consistent,” assistant coach Natalie Piccone said. “Our energy was consistent. And we had fun. We played well and played together. Jordan set a great game. She ran a fast tempo and we ran the middles with tempo.”
Rancho San Juan, a new school that opened in 2019, was making its first appearance in the volleyball playoffs. The Trailblazers were 22-7 overall and a 12-2 co-champion of the Pacific Coast Athletic League, Cypress Division.
That said, they were no match for the Bulldogs, who competed all year in challenging non-league matches and in the highly competitive Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Mt. Hamilton Division.
Sobrato maintained small leads throughout the first set. Bouton and middles Glover and Forbes had a field day, with a total of 10 kills from that position. SHS fended off Rancho flurries to win the set.
In the second set, excellent defense led by freshman libero Madeline Blair, continued to keep RSJ from putting together any runs and allowed setter Bouton to utilize hitting options at different positions at the net or from the back row.
Bouton set Glover for five more kills and Scatena on the outside for four. An 8-1 mid-set run broke things open and Sobrato had two sets in the bag.
There was no letdown. A seven-point run with Scatena at the serving line produced a big lead in the third set. Rancho never got within range.
“It starts with our defense,” Glover said. “It gives us the ability to set anyone. And Mika (Forbes) also did a great job in the middle. The more we play together, the more we help each other. It was great to win and win in a sweep. And we kept them under 20 the last two sets. That helps our confidence.”
The passing was superb all game long. In addition to solid play from Blair, Bouton and Scatena were strong with their defense, and defensive specialist Chattha aided the cause.
“Our defense has gotten better during the season and we have grown as a team,” Bouton said. “Our pin hitters have gotten aggressive. And I want to run the middle as much as I can. We run a fast offense. We have been practicing a fast offense here since I was a freshman.”
Bouton found many options along the net and quick sets to the middle befuddled Rancho, as they could not get a good block in front of Glover and Forbes. Bouton commented that the pin hitters were doing a great job placing the ball into specific areas of the Trailblazers’ defense.
Glover added that the attackers were also looking to hit around the block. There was a lot of success.
Piccone utilized her depth as the match progressed. Isabella Hammer, Ashley Nguyen, Alexia Durling also made contributions.
Sobrato finished the regular season at 14-18, before heading to the post-season. The Bulldogs closed with a rush, dumping No. 4 Westmont 3-1, beating Silver Creek in five and only barely losing to Christopher via deuce in the fifth set. That set the table for playoff success.
“I feel fantastic,” said Piccone, after the match. “Our defense was really good and consistent. I was really proud of them. I’m very happy with how the girls performed. Everything that we’ve been working on all year all clicked.”
Sobrato next moved on to the quarterfinals. On Nov. 4, they faced a huge challenge in No. 3-seeded Burlingame. Sobrato travelled north to play the Panthers and fought hard but Burlingame prevailed 25-20, 25-12, 25-20.
